Seam-cleat for sheet-roofing.



A. C. FISCHER.I SEAM CLEAT FOR SHEET ROOFING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- I9. I9I4. f

Patented Aug. 17

. T FEQE.

.ALBERT C. FISCHER, 0F LINCOLN, NEBRSK.

SEAM-CLEAT FOR SHEET-ROOFING.

i Speciiication of Letters Patent.

Patenten aug. it, rais.

Application filed November 19, 1914. Serial No. 873,011.

To a/Z whom t may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT C. FISCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of .Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have inventeyd certain new and useful Improvements in Seam-Cleats for Sheetlooing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in metallic seam cleats, for use in securing roofing sheets to the roof boards of build= ings, and has for one of its objects to pro.- vide cleats which may be used either detached or in overlapped relation.

Another object is to provide a cleat havmg a depressed flange so that the. seam at the edge of the overlapping sheet may be covered, the cleat bearing upon the lower sheet as well as on the overlapping sheet.

The invention also has reference to a cleat having such form that ywhen it is secured to the roofing sheets, water will be prevented from entering at its ends or sides.

lVith the foregoing objects in view and others to be mentioned hereinafter, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein,-

Figure 1' is a plan view of the cleat, broken away portions of a roof iboard, a lower roofing sheet and an overlapping sheet being also shown. Fig. 2 is a side or edgewise view of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 6 6'of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a View of the cleat in longitudinal section, as on line 7 7 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a part of a roof with the cleats applied to the roofing sheets. Fig. 9 is a. detail on an enlarged scale, relating to Fig. 8.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, sists of an elongated, rectilinear plate 10 bentat its respective ends to form the transverse cup-members or lugs 11 and 12 of concavo-conve'X form, a transverse groove 13 midway between its ends, a plurality of an nular projections as indicated at 14, 15, 16

and 17 with central apertures a preferably disposed in staggered relation, said plate, as

indicated at b, having one of its edges the seam cleat conformed inwardly convergent from said lugs to the groove 13, and that part opposite to edge-b being provided with a ledge or depressed flange 18 also formed inwardly con-f vergent from said lugs to its middle, said plate also preferably being formed with grooves 19 extending longitudinally thereof ,from the annular projections 15 andl 16'to open on the groove 13, and the longitudinal, grooves 20 disposed, respectively, between projections 14 and 15 and between the projections 16 and 17. l

Numerals 21 indicate roof boards, and numeral 22 indicates a roofing sheetl overlapped by a roofing sheet 23. lt will be seen that the herein described cleat is adapted to be disposed on the sheet 23, and may be secured by nails c (F ig. 6.) which traverse apertures a, its flange 18 bearing on the shfeet 2 2, and thereby the seam or edge d of said sheet 23 will be covered and housed from the weather. The walls of the hollow lugs 11 and 12 are cut away to provide the recesses e, and' when the cleat is disposed on the two roofing sheets as mentioned, the uppermost sheet will be disposed in and may substantially lill said recesses (Fig. This is a feature of advantage, for when the cleats are disposed inclinedly, rain or melted snow will be prevented from entering at the endsof the cleats.

It will be noted that the hollow lug 114is larger than the lug 12. The cleats maybe disposed in alinement to cover a seam, lug l1 of one cleat overlapping lug 12 of an adjacent cleat, and when the cleats have been rsecured as described, water will be prevented, practically, from entering beneath the ends or edges of the cleats.

The function discharged by the groove 13 is to permit ythe water to flow across the cleat. It will be understood edges disposed horizontally as well las inclinedlyfand that the cleats, when used, are placed in a manner to cover both the longitudinal and transverse edges of the roofing sheets, and when disposed horizontally they would tend to obstruct the flow of water eX- cept for the provision of the grooves 13.

The function discharged by the curved edge b andthe curved flange 18 of the cleat is that they tend to facilitate the wash or How of water on a roof, since the resistance to moving water of a curved surface is less that the roofing sheets may be laid with their longitudinal `roofing sheets,

than that of a right angle. This feature isA a matter of importance since some roofs have a considerable degree of inclination, and the force of the moving water is correspondingly greater, and by reasono the curvature a greater degree of durability is attained. In instances where the roof has only a slight inclination, the curvature of the edges b facilitates drainage. Also when the cleats are disposed horizontally on a roof, the flow of water to the grooves 13, on

the upper side of the cleats, is facilitated by reason of said curved edges b.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate the facing strip 21 of the eaves of a building covered by the this being usually practised, and it will be seen that the herein described cleat may be used to advantage as a holding means, since the flange 18 may project somewhat beyond or outwardly of the eaves to thereby protect the roofing sheet at the corner or upper, terminal edge 25 of the roof boards, the roofing sheets. Also, as bestshown 1n Fig. 9, the cleats may be used to advantage when secured at the lower terminal edge 26 of the facing strip, since their flanges 18 will project below the eaves and will tend to g eo Ji 19 to project into the sheets,

lverse wall of the engage therein.

conduct the Water rooting sheets.

It' will be understood that the cleats are to be constructed, preferably', of sheet metal which is vcomparatively thin, and'` therefore the transverse concavo-convexed lugs 11 and 12 tend to prevent transverse buckling, also the perforated projections and grooves 13, 19 and 20 tend to reinforce the structure.

It will be seen that the herein described cleats may be disposed .in alinement adjacent to each other, or the end of one cleat may abut against the end of an adjacent cleat, or they may be disposed, when in alinement, with the lug 11 of one cleat covering the lug 12'of an adjacent cleat. By referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 7, it will be seen that a transverse groove is provided in the outer side of the cleat, adjacent to lug from the edges of the 12, in order that when the lugs are disposed`` in overlapped position, the terminal, transconcavo-conveX lug 11 may When thus disposed and when the nails c are driven home, said nails operate to cause the cleats to be pressed firmly upon the roofing sheets, these sheets generally being constructed of yielding material.

Since the grooves w will project into the roofing sheets by. operation of nailing, the ends of the lugs 11 and 12 will, of course make contact with the roofing sheets, and the entire lower surface of the cleats, including the flanges, will make contact with said sheets, the nails which traverse projections 15 and 16 causing the grooves 13 and and the nails this being a greatly exposed part oftraversing projections 14, 15, l16 and 17 causing the grooves .2() to project in like manner.

The functionto be discharged by the staggered position for the'nail apertures is to prevent splitting of the roof boards. It will ,be appreciated that since the nails are disposed near to each other they should be disposed in non-alinement to prevent this injury to the wood.

The projection 1li, adjacent to the lng 12 of each cleat, is disposed near flange 18. The projection 17, of each cleat, is disposed near to the edge b. The result of this arrangement is that when the lugs of two cleats are disposed in overlapped relation,`pressure will be applied near the ends of both lugs, this being an obvious advantage forcausing a more uniform pressure of these parts upon the roofing sheets when the nails have been applied.

Another advantage to be assigned for disposing the nails in staggered relation, is the fact that there will be a less tendency for the roofing sheets to become torn since the resistance would be greater than if the nails were disposed in'alinement. The cleats are employedy only near the edges of two roofing sheets, and on account of changes in temperature and other weather conditions the sheets often become torn from the resulting expansion and contraction on the line penetrated by the nails.

It will be noted that while the cleats may be disposed in overlapped relation, the nails at their terminals traverse one cleat, this being an advantage for the reason that if a nail traverses two cleats, the lower cleat generally becomes flattened or mutilated, since it is concealed from view of the operator when nailing the cleats to the roof boards. j

Having fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

l. A cleat consisting of an apertured, elongated plate provided at one of its longitudinal edges with a having a groove formed transversely in its top to open on one of its longitudinal edges and said flange.

2. A cleat for the purpose described, consisting of an apertured, elongated plate formed at its ends to project above its bottom with lugs of concave-convex shape and provided at one of its sides with a depressed flange extending between said lugs.

3. A cleat, consisting of anelongated, ap#

gitudinal edges and said flange.`

adjacent to the lug 11 depressed flange and 4. A cleat consisting of an apertured, elongated plate provided at one of its longitudinal edges with a depressed flange, said plate having a transversely disposed groove Jformed in its top to open on'one of its edges and said flange, and having grooves formed longitudinally in its top to open upon said transversely disposed groove.

5. A cleat consisting of an apertured, elongated plate having one of its longitudinal edges formed outwardly divergent from its middle toward its ends, and bent transversely to provide a depressed flange at its opposite longitudinal edge extending outwardly divergent from its middle, and having a groove formed transversely in its top to open on said longitudinal edge and said flange.

6. A cleat for the purpose described, consisting of an elongated plate having transversely disposed lugsl at its ends projecting above its bottom and having one of its longitudinal edges formed inwardly convergent from said lugs, its opposite longitudinal edge being provided with a depressed ange extending between and formed inwardly convergent from said lugs.

7. A cleat for the purpose described, consisting of an elongated plate provided at each of its ends with a transversely disposed lug and having one of its longitudinal edges formed inwardly convergent from said lugs, its opposite longitudinal edge being provided with a depressed flange extending between and formed inwardly'convergent from said lugs, said plate having a groove formed transversely in its top to open on said longitudinal edge and said flange.

8. A cleat for the purpose described, consisting of an apertured, elongated plate having a transversely disposed lug at each of its ends provided with a recess, and having one of its longitudinal edges formed inwardly convergent from said lugs, its opposite longitudinal edge being' provided with a depressed flange extending between and formed inwardly convergent from said lugs, said plate having a groove formed transversely in its top midway between said lugs to open on said longitudinal edge and said flange, and pro-vided with grooves formed longitudinally in its top to open on saidirst named groove.

. 9. A cleat consisting of an elongated plate having a transversely disposed lug at each of its ends provided with a recess, said plate being-formed at one of its edges to extend between said lugs with a depressed flange and having a groove formed transversely in its top midway between said lugs to open upon said flange, and provided at longitudinal intervals with apertures adapted to be traversed by suitable keepers.

10. A cleat consisting of an elongated plate provided at one of its longitudinal edges with a depressed flange and having a groove formed transversely to open on one of its longitudinal edges and said flange, said plate being also provided with a plurality of annular, centrally apertured projections disposed in staggered relation at longitudinal intervals thereof.

l1. A cleat for the purpose described, consisting of an elongated plate provided at its ends with lugs of concavo-'convex shape, a depressed flange at one of its longitudinal edges between said lugs, a transverse groove midway between said lugs opening on one of its longitudinal edges and said flange, and having non-alining apertures formed kat longitudinal intervals therein.

12. A cleat for the purpose described, consisting of an elongated plate provided at each of its ends with a transversely disposed lug of coneavo-convex shape and having one of its longitudinal edges formed inwardly convergent from said lugs, its opposite longitudinal edge being vprovided between said lugs with a depressed, inwardly convergent flange, said plate having a pair of apertures formed therein adjacent to said lugs and having other apertures disposed in nonalinement with and intermediate said pair of apertures, and provided transversely in its upper side with a pair of grooves opening on said inwardly convergent edge and upon said flange, one of said grooves being disposed midway between said lugs, the other groove being disposed between one of said lugs and an aperture.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT C. FISCHER. Witnesses:

HIRAM A. STUReIs, ARTHUR MARowrrz.- 

